University of Bristol to repatriate sacred Māori rocks to New Zealand

The University of Bristol is preparing to return a collection of sacred Māori rocks to New Zealand, recognising their cultural and spiritual significance beyond their scientific value.

The volcanic rocks, currently held by the School of Earth Sciences, will be repatriated to a mountain on New Zealand’s North Island.

More than a decade ago, geologist Geoff Kilgour collected the specimens as part of research into the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, a disaster that claimed the lives of up to 150 people, the vast majority of whom were Māori. The rocks were intended to help improve scientific understanding of the eruption.

Before removing the rocks, Geoff received verbal consent from a Māori elder, who agreed to their use in research on the understanding that they would be returned once scientific analysis was completed.

As part of the repatriation process, a traditional waerea ceremony was held at the London Māori community organisation, Ngāti Rānana. The ceremony was conducted to remove the tapu, or sacred status, from the rocks and to prepare them spiritually for their journey home.

The decision to return the rocks marks a significant acknowledgement by the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences of the cultural and spiritual importance these objects hold for Māori communities.

Prior to their return, the rocks have become a focal point of the Migrating Rocks exhibition, currently on display in the Wills Memorial Building.

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Created by artist Alyson Hallett, the exhibition combines visual art and written installations to explore the role natural objects can play in discussions around repatriation, as well as themes of reciprocity and responsibility.

Exhibition curator Claudia Hildebrandt explained: “Across the world, laws often treat land and natural resources as things that can be owned or sold, rather than recognising their deeper cultural and spiritual importance to communities.”

Across the world, laws often treat land and natural resources as things that can be owned or sold, rather than recognising their deeper cultural and spiritual importance to communities.

“Honouring the verbal agreement to reunite the rocks with the local community is a very important step towards normalising ethical collecting and collection management, including return.’’

The Migrating Rocks exhibition is open to visitors every Wednesday between 2pm and 5pm at the Wills Memorial Building and will run until August.

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Featured image via University of Bristol